U.S Customs and Border Protection says that it discovered a haul of 450 counterfeit video game monitors during a targeted raid it held on April 16 at the Ranier entry (near International Falls). The monitors were packed in pallets in a rail container and were seized due to a violation of intellectual property rights regulations. According to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, the monitors could be worth $204,000.
In a statement, International Falls Port Director Anthony Jackson said, “The enforcement of trade laws at U.S. ports of entry remains a high priority for us.” The port director also explained that counterfeit goods harm consumers because the manufacturers of these goods “have little motivation to use safe, high-quality materials in their products.”
The raid on the counterfeit video game monitors follows other major raids from border protection officials. Earlier in the year, authorities also seized more than $700,000 worth of amplifiers, earbuds, cables, sandwich boards and materials for touch screens.
The counterfeit games hardware industry has likely been lucrative for sellers and smugglers. For instance, at the height of the NES Classic Mini’s popularity, fake NES Classic Mini consoles began to show up on some e-commerce platforms like eBay, with some having been swindled by the offers.
On the slightly lower end of the scale, there has also been a problem with fake amiibo showing up. While many amiibo may sell for less than a video game monitor or a fake console, collectors may be duped by counterfeits of rare amiibo and could lose a lot of money.
Raids like those conducted by U.S Customs and Border Protection appear to be turning into a more common occurrence. In South Korea, a massive amount of fake Pokemon toys was seized before the fakes managed to make their way to the country’s arcades. These raids are likely making things much more difficult for sellers of counterfeits, but it seems as if they aren’t a 100% effective deterrent just yet.
Source: Duluth News Tribune
